sorry, the word isn't naturalized, but adapted.

c

Cynthia, where did you get them?
Jim

Here it is, they have them hidden under "best of the rest"

BTW, that leucojum aestivus (sp?) is the lily of the valley type flower that is supposed to do well in TX too.

I haven't tried them because everything pales next to the tulips. well, everything except those really loud anemones
c

Here is a link that might be useful: Byzantine Glads

Beware of the imported B. glads. I bought some one time and they only grew about 6" tall and never bloomed. They always looked sick........The ones grown in Texas are the real thing........The bulbs will be tiny on the imported ones and about the size of a normal glad bulb for the ones grown in Texas........Good Luck!!! David in Arlington

David, where did you buy yours?

I did see that these were 6cm and up. Not huge, but the one I saw for $8 was maybe 8cm around. I think that's a lot for one bulb, even if it is a wonderful one. I pay that for amaryllis and depending upon variety multiply like bunnies here...even though they originated in Holland. The rest return, just don't multiply as well.

I'll have to trust your experience with the Byz. glads.

It seems like there is a bit of controversy over the Texas-grown kind vs. the Dutch or imported kind. I bought some of the cheaper ones last year from a respectable nursery here, and they ended up being a different color than the heirloom variety--more paler pink than ruby red... Then I found this article, which helped make sense... there are 2 different stocks... I went ahead and bought 2 of the expensive ones this year. I'm curious to see the differences in person ;) I don't know if the bulb sellers are doing this knowingly, as the article implies... I'm sure the good dealers will start to figure out what's happening now that some more Texas farms are growing the real deal.... and then eventually the heirloom ones won't be so rare (and expensive, we hope!)

Here is a link that might be useful: byzantine glad comparison

Actually the lighter colored one in the photo from the article austinwildflower posted is still pretty. May not be the "authentic southern b. glad", but could have a place in a garden - especially if you have alot of space to fill. I guess the question is how well they increase each year. It almost reminds me of a freesia. I bought 1 of the authentic ones, but my my these heirloom bulbs ARE expensive!

debndal
do the Texas freesias survive our winters???

I have some of the "other" freesias that do return in pots, but I'm not too worried about them because I bought a bunch for or a little.

I honestly don't know, but did these glads originate in TX or have they adapted? The Oxblood lilies came from Germany.

I'm not against good bulbs by any means, but you need a cluster to really see them. I love the Heirloom bulbs. Those St Jospeh lilies (hardy amaryllis) grow beautifully here, but dang...at almost $30 for 1 bulb, I can tell you that Fairy Tail and Minerva multiply nicely too
cynthia

True Byzantine Gladiolus are about 4 feet tall and bright pink. The "imposters" are usually shorter and lighter in color. This is according to a local master gardener who gave a talk on bulbs last month at our garden club meeting. But, like someone above mentioned, even if they are imposters, they are still pretty.

cynthia - there is something called a false freesia that is supposed to grow in zones 8+, but I've never tried them. I tried freesia from a mail order once, and it was a bust. The blooms were muddy looking and the plant kept laying on the ground. I didn't try them in a pot, a good idea. The b glads I believe are not native, but have been here for ages.
If you like yellow, I recommend the hoop petticoats and the heirloom jonquils. They are both very small, not nearly as expensive, but the color is so vibrant that even a few really stand out. The foliage is thin too, so not a big mess while dying down. They are my favorites.

Thanks denise
OK, so the ones I have on order are definitely shorter and the picture looks light pink than those deep violet ones. Sure do like the deep color better, but will report back. I know that the variety name is the same as the one I saw for $$. But, the bulb for the $$ looked more like a dutch iris than a gladiola corm.

debndal: try the tazetta form of narcissi. I've gotten some from the same dutch importer on the list above. They returned nicely planted in a summer hot bed next to a driveway. I tried avalanch, and they are beautiful. I'll check those hoop petticoats. I love all colors.

I've had good results with freesia from Sam's. Very inexpensive, so I plant them thickly. Around Christmas time, I put tulips in a pot, then a layer of freesia, then a top layer of violas. The tulips bloom earlier, the freesia come up through, then spill out of the pot through the violas in late March or early April. When nature cooperates and all goes well it is lovely!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tazettas

Alright, I am confused I think. I can't quite understand if the "authentic" byzantine glads are red or purple from this thread, and I am curious because my good friend, perhaps my great good friend, just offered me some bulbs because she had a bed full of them. They have the shape of the flowers in the picture, but are a deep violet. We didn't have any idea what they were, in fact, we thought they were some sort of iris, and they were blooming small like that because they were overcrowded.

OK, let me be the first to ask

DOES YOUR FRIEND WANT TO SELL SOME????

I saw some in a garden, and would have guess iris too. I saw a lone bulb (didn't look like any corm I've seen) and it looked like a Dutch Iris buld. Maybe this is starting to make sense and maybe your friend has the potential for a little $$$ venture
smiles
cynthia

My bulbs came in and they are smaller than the one I saw at a much higher price. I happened to be at the local nursery that sold the $$$ ones. I was almost tempted....BUT the lone bulb in the nice package was $12 and it was extremely dried out. Nearly dessicated. I felt several others and they were the same. Now the smaller ones that are plump seem much better.

gertie....any chance your friend wants to sell some from her garden????
cynthia

I ordered 100 Byzantine Glads from Brent and Becky's. Order came in yesterday. Catalog said they would be 6 cm, but they are 2 cm. Oh well.

It is confusing about the "real thing". There are probably several types of Byzantine Glads. They are probably all "authentic". Some probably just look better than others.

The type I got was from the 1700's. Other types are from 1629.

Cynthia: I hope that you have luck aquiring those bulbs-LOL

About a month ago, we had a bulb thread going and I asked about Lady Tulip-(tulip clusiana chrysantha). You said that it returned for you.

Southern Bulb is marketing another tulip. It naturalizes at zone 8A.

My hunch is that Lady Tulip's southern range is 8A. North Texas has more spring bulb options than South Texas has.

Here is a link about the new, very expensive tulip for Texas:

Here is a link that might be useful: tulip praecox

Mine look small too, got them at Van Engelen. Took out the tape measure and measured one at just under 7cm some look a little smaller, so for me the 6cm and up promise held true.

c

We'll see what happens with mine. I'm not hoping for much with them being so small.

This is the first time that I've grown glads.

I think I was measuring the corms the wrong way. Mine are 6 cm!!

The true ones tend to be $10 per bulb or higher. They only grow 18-24” tall. They have fuchsia colored blooms that resemble an orchid and leaves that look similar to Iris leaves. I have them in my yard, they came with my 1883 house. The bulbs tend to be 1/4-1/2 inch in diameter, and it’s difficult to dig deep enough to get to the bulbs. Baby bulbs that split from the mother can be 1/8” in diameter.
The cheap bulbs are actually grown from seed and aren’t a true Byzantine Gladiolus.